Percussion fuse



o INVENTOR /Swmuel Mle A TTORNE Y Patented May 12, 1925.

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SAMUEL WILEY, or Mercenari, new annessi'.

PERCUSSION '.rnsfn.

Application 'filed November i8, 1923. Seral No. 673,446.

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170 .all .collo/n 'it may concer/L llie it known that I, SAMUEL TILEY, aciti- Zen .of the United States, .and aresident of Virletuclien, county of liliddlesex, 4and rState .ot New Jersey, `have invented an Improvement in Percussion Fuses7 lci which vthe 'tollowing is a speciiieavion. The vinvention .described Iherein may be used by .the Government, yo; vanf,T of its oilicers or employees in prosecution lor' Work for the Go\-'ei'nment, or by any other person in the United States, Without .payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance Vwith .the act' ot' N [aaich 3, 1883.

I The presentinvention rela-tes -to percus sion i'nses and1particular-ly .to 'that type 4of use adaptedV for use -With iba-nd and rifle grenadesl-leietctorev` considerable diliculty ihas been experienced in the 'use ofi' hand and rilie grenadesdue tothe .tact that these vgrenades are apt -to .explode prematurely, 4often in- .licting serious 'mjnries Japon the troops using-them.

Theprima-r-y objectofimy invention is the construction Votl a grenade which Wi'lfl not explode until a safe time has 'elapsed .in Hight, .'i. -e. 1 until -the :projectile .hasmoved a `sate distance .a *ay .on its trajectory.

A Afurther object is the previsione-li' a fuse which will explode the projectile regardless of the position of .the same at the time of impact.

1V ith the foregoing .and other objects `in vie-W, my invention resides in the novel .ar- Y rangement and .combination of parts and` in the details of construction .hereinafter described Vand claimed, it 'being understood that changes in the tprecise embodiment. ot the invention herein -disclosedmaybe zmade within the scope of what isclaimed Without departing' from t-he spirit of the invention.

A particular embodiment of my xinvention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a grenade equipped with my fuse;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the grenade and fuse; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the grenade with a modified form of fuse, parts being broken away.

Rel'erring` to the drawings by numerals of reference: j I have shown at 5 a projectile which as illustrated vis the ordinary type' of `rifle 'grenade. The grenadeconsists ol' a hollow cas .inglfilled irith any suitable explosive 7 and lifa rthe preferred embodiment oft my `inven- .tlon 1s .closed `atits rear end vby a .fuse casing '8.

.miardly projecting .portion isvreeessed as .at

14 to recel-.ve la :primer cap 15,. A :cover 1G isz-providedwhich isscrew tlireadedor otherwise secured yupon the projection Vv153 and .protects ,the primer cap from accidental .ignif tion. l

YThe container (10 fis adapted to extend within tl1e projectile and houses `the actuating members of the use which include tivo .normally separated blocks `1,7 -and l''formed Withconoidal `shaped -ends `19 vand 20. The Y .blocks 17 and 18 yare adapted to -nioie Jfreely 4within the limits otthe inclined ,planos formed by the conoidal seats 21 and 22 formed :in the casing' 10 and the inwardly projecting portion 1l oi the outer'nieinber 9.

One block, as for instance, 'the .block 17 -is provided with astrilrer and theother block, as for instance, block 18 With a recess 24 'adapted to'receivev a detonator or .other exploding charge and 'Withan open- :ing .25 communicatingV with -tlie recess 24.;

Vand Within which the striker fis adapted to reciprocate. l

rLny-snrtable meansrmay be `.employed lior maintaining the blocks apart :in flight, as

sho-wn, seats 26 are formed on .the opposite inner faces of the blocks 17 and 18 which are adapted to Ireceive the ends of a coil spring 27 Whichis interposed between the blocks and normally serves to maintain the blocks apart.

For preventing arming of the fuse until a predetermined time in flight has elapsed one of the blocks, as :torinstance 18, isl pros" vided with a pin 28V which reciprocates in an opening 29 formed in the other block.

This opening 29 is lilledfor a portion'of its length with a delay charge 80 and is so Vshaped as to communicateat its outer end withA an opening 31 formed in the projection 11 of the outerrmember. The 'charge 30 is packed suliiciently tight so as to preventinovement of the pin, under all conditions, until the whole of the charge has been Y consumed. Y

This partition is shattered by the effect of be vreadily formed with an annularflange 33 andY is y any relative movement of the blockswithVV respect to one 'anotherVV until the delay Y is desired greaterV than thatV provided byV A thin walledpartition 32is interposed between the container and the explosive 7.

detonation so that the explosive charge may ignited'. This partition is maintained in place by the outer member 9. The operation of my device is as follows:

When the ,grenade is thrown or discharged Y the primer 15 is exploded which serves tol ignite the charge contained within the opening 31'and through thatcharge the delay 30. The blocks 17 and 18 are normally Vmaintained apart in flight by the spring 27 interposed between said blocks. Moreover, the pin' 28 cooperating withthe de-vk lay charge 30 serves absolutely to prevent charge which may be of any desired length has been consumed. Explosion of the pro-y jectile vis therefore preventeduntil a Vpredetermined time which isY measured by the length of the delayhas expired.V After the delay charge has been consumed,jtheV fuse is armed. If the projectile then strikes an object the blocks 17 and 18 are thrownv against one another bythe force lof inertia and against the opposition of the spring 27. lVlien the-blocks are brought together the striker explodes the detonator 24 or exploding charge and thev grenade itself is then exploded.V By providing conoidal ends for Vthe blocks and conoidal'seats to'receive the same the fuse is vmade operative no matter in what position thegpiojectile may Strike. When a delay at the moment of impact the fuse shownin Fig. 2, afuse such as shown in the modification in Fig. 3, may be employed.. This fuse is 'of' essentially the Vsame type as Vthat heretofore described.

However, for' the detonator 1 or vexploding charge 24, Va fnlminate'cap' 39 andY a Ydelay 34; may be substituted, and the casing or container 10 may be provided with ran extensionG adapted to receive adetonator'f and if desired a "delay 37 which may be separated from the detonator *proper by an apertured partition'38. Y Y

With either type of fuse,'the projectile cannot be exploded until it has moved a safe ldistance on its trajectory.

, not necessarily limited to Vits employment as a base fuse.V j l ,Y

I claim: 'Y i i Y i 1.`AV fuse for projectiles embodying an outer member provided'with a fla-nge adapt ed to be threaded into the projectile7 a containerV dependent fromrsaidfoiiter member and adapted to extend within the projectile,

Yso

a primer inthe outer' membeiya plurality of normallyV separated blocks capable of relative axial movementmounted inthe container, resilient means interposed between the blocks to maintain the blocks apart in flight, an exploding charge in one of the blocks, a striker in the other orY the'blocks adapted to bethrown against theexploding charge on impact, a pin inY oneol. said blocks, a delay chargeV in the otheriof Ythe blocks, said pin andv charge adapted to co- .'opei'ate to prevent relative movement of the sis@ blocks until a. predetermined time in flight has elapsed, Ysaid delay charge being adapt* ed to be ignitedby the primer.-

2. A fuse fory projectilesY embodying an Y outer member adapted 'for attachment to a' projectile, a container carried by the outer 'membciga primer in the outer member, nor-V ymally separated blocks capable of relative vaxial movement mountedin the container,

firing meansfcarried by the blocks and operated on relative movement thereof, and

means vformair'itainingl the blocks .against relative movement until a predeterminedY time off Hight has elapsed, said means including a .delay charge adapted to be ignited by the primer. Y

` SAB/[Uleila VILEY. 

